U.S. patent number 4,645,498 [Application Number 06/702,974] was granted by the patent office on 1987-02-24 for hot or cold compress with bladder enclosure.
Invention is credited to Imogene Kosak.
United States Patent |
4,645,498 |
Kosak |
February 24, 1987 |
Hot or cold compress with bladder enclosure
Abstract
A compress capable of delivering hot or cold, wet or dry
temperature treatment to a person's body. The compress is formed
from a pair of rectangularly shaped waterproof panels which are
joined together around their peripheries to form a hollow space
therebetween. One of said panels has an elongated opening to allow
for the introduction of ice, hot water, a wet towel or the like and
also carries a closure flap for closing the opening. The other
panel has a portion thereof formed of a porous fabric material so
that liquid from within the hollow space can seep therethrough.
Located within the hollow space is a flexible waterproof bladder
which also has an opening adjacent the opening in the panel. If a
dry compress is desired, the bladder is expanded to fill the space
between the panels and is filled with ice or hot water. If a wet
compress is desired, the bladder is rolled or folded out of the way
and ice or a hot wet towel is placed directly into the space
between the panels. The compress can be wrapped around a person's
leg or arm and held in place with Velcro fasteners carried by the
panels.
Inventors: |
Kosak; Imogene (Cape May,
NJ) |
Family
ID: |
24823411 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/702,974 |
Filed: |
February 19, 1985 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
604/289;
128/DIG.15; 607/112 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61F
7/02 (20130101); Y10S 128/15 (20130101); A61F
2007/0001 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61F
13/00 (20060101); A61F 7/00 (20060101); A61M
35/00 (20060101); A61M 035/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;604/290,291,289
;128/DIG.15,399-403,157,165,327 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Other References
Catalog Cut, "Healthcore", OmniPak, Baka Manufacturing Co.,
Plainville, Mass., 6/1982, avail..
|
Primary Examiner: Rosenbaum; C. Fred
Assistant Examiner: Kruter; J. L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Lehrer; Norman E.
Claims
I claim:
1. A compress comprising:
a pair of elongated waterproof panels secured together around their
extreme panel peripheries so as to form a hollow space
therebetween;
one of said panels being substantially waterproof and having an
elongated opening therein providing communication to said hollow
space;
means carried by said one panel for closing said opening;
the other of said panels also being substantially waterproof but
having a substantially centrally located portion thereof formed of
a porous fabric material to allow liquid which may be in said space
to seep out through said fabric portion to the exterior of said
compress;
a totally waterproof flexible bladder means forming an enclosure
secured to said one panel within said space, said bladder having a
configuration complementary to said panels and having an access
opening adjacent the opening in said one panel, said bladder means
being so constructed and arranged so that it can either be filled
and extended to fill said space or said bladder means can be
collapsed and moved out of the way so that the space can be
directly filled;
hook fastener means carried by one of said panels and attachable to
loop fastener means carried by the other of said panels so that
said compress can be wrapped around a body member and secured
thereto by attaching the hook and loop means together.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed toward a compress and more
particularly toward a compress which can deliver either hot or
cold, wet or dry temperature treatment to a person's body.
The invention is particularly useful for treating injuries such as
those which may occur during participation in athletics or the
like. Depending on the nature and location of the injury and the
personal preferences involved, it is sometimes desirable to utilize
a cold compress and sometimes desirable to utilize a hot compress.
Furthermore, whether the compress is hot or cold, it is sometimes
necessary that the same be kept dry. On the other hand, it is often
desirable to treat the body portion with both the hot or cold
temperature and moisture.
Numerous devices have been proposed in the past for applying heat
or cold to a body part. Such devices are shown, for example, in
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,678,936 and 3,610,307. Similarly, prior U.S. Pat.
Nos. 1,441,282 and 1,576,488 show that it has been proposed to
provide devices which can apply wet compresses to a body part. Both
of these patents show an ice bag which is comprised of a porous
fabric material which allows water from the melting ice to pass
therethrough.
While individual devices have been proposed in the past for
providing either hot or cold, wet or dry temperature treatment to a
body part, no one device known to Applicant has ever been proposed
which is capable of selectively supplying all of these. As a
result, it has been necessary, heretofore, to maintain more than
one such product on hand.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art
and provides a compress which is capable of delivering hot or cold,
wet or dry temperature treatment to a person's body. The compress
is formed from a pair of rectangularly shaped waterproof panels
which are joined together around their peripheries to form a hollow
space therebetween. One of said panels has an elongated opening to
allow for the introduction of ice, hot water, a wet towel or the
like and also carries a closure flap for closing the opening. The
other panel has a portion thereof formed of a porous fabric
material so that liquid from within the hollow space can seep
therethrough. Located within the hollow space is a flexible
waterproof bladder which also has an opening adjacent the opening
in the panel. If a dry compress is desired, the bladder is expanded
to fill the space between the panels and is filled with ice or hot
water. If a wet compress is desired, the bladder is rolled or
folded out of the way and ice or a hot wet towel is placed directly
into the space between the panels. The compress can be wrapped
around a person's leg or arm and held in place with Velcro
fasteners carried by the panels.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in
the accompanying drawings one form which is presently preferred; it
being understood that the invention is not intended to be limited
to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hot or cold compress constructed
in accordance with the principles of the present invention and
shown wrapped around a person's leg;
FIG. 2 is a front view of the compress shown in FIG. 1 in its
extended condition;
FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the reverse side
thereof;
FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the closure flap in
its open position;
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken through the line 5--5 of
FIG. 4 showing the compress in one condition, and
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 5 but showing the
compress in a second condition.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference
numerals are used throughout the various figures to designate like
elements, there is shown in each of the figures a compress
constructed in accordance with the principles of the present
invention and designated generally as 10. FIG. 1 shows the compress
10 being worn around a person's leg whereas the remaining figures
show the compress in its fully open position.
Compress 10 is preferably made from a single sheet of material
which is folded over upon itself to form a pair of substantially
elongated rectangularly shaped panels 12 and 14. The front panel 12
and rear panel 14 are secured together along the bottom edge 16 and
side edges 18 and 20 by way of stitching 22 or the like so as to
form a hollow space 24 therebetween.
The panels 12 and 14 are preferably made from a flexible waterproof
material. It is possible to make both panels entirely from a
waterproof material or to make them from substantially any flexible
material and to line or coat the inside with a waterproof
material.
As shown most clearly in FIGS. 4 and 5, the front panel 12 has an
elongated opening 26 formed therein. It is through this opening 26
that ice or other material can be inserted into the opening 24. An
elongated flap 28 of flexible material is secured to the front
panel 12 just above the opening 26 and includes a strip of Velcro
material 30 thereon. Cooperating Velcro material 32 is mounted on
the panel 12 just below the opening 26 to cooperate with the
material 30 so that the flap 28 functions as a closure member to
close the opening 26.
As shown most clearly in FIG. 3, a portion of the rear panel 14 is
cut out from a window 34. Fitted into this window 34 and secured to
the panel 14 is a flexible sheet of a porous fabric material 36.
From FIG. 5, it can be seen that the inner face of fabric 36 faces
space 24 while the outer face of fabric 36 is part of the exterior
of compress 10. This material 36 may be made from a nylon mesh or
the like which would allow liquid such as water from ice melting
within the space 24 to seep out through the back of the compress 10
to the exterior thereof.
A bladder 38 is also located within the space 24 between the front
and rear panels 12 and 14. Bladder 38 is made from a highly
flexible totally waterproof material and has a configuration which
is complementary to the shape of the inside of the panels 12 and
14. An opening 40 in the bladder 38 is accessible from the opening
26 so that the bladder can be filled through the opening 26 in the
panel 12. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the bladder 38 can either be
rolled or folded and essentially moved out of the way so that the
space 24 can be filled or the bladder 38 itself can be filled with
water 42 or the like wherein the bladder will expand to fill the
inside of the compress. Suitable watertight means such as a plastic
zipper or interlocking seal or the like can be used to close the
opening in the bladder 38.
Connected to the end of the rear surface 14 is a strip 44 of hook
material. Secured to the opposite end of the front panel 12 is a
patch 46 of loop or pile material. The hook and loop material
utilized in the preferred embodiment is sold under the trademark
Velcro which is representative of the fasteners which may be used.
This patch 46 should be large enough so that the hook material 44
can catch in a number of different positions so that the size of
the compress 10 can be adjusted. In lieu of the patch 46, the front
surface of the panel 12 can be entirely covered with a flannel
material or the like so that the Velcro hooks 44 can be secured
anywhere along the front panel 12. As shown in FIG. 1, the compress
10 can be used by placing the fabric material 36 over the area to
be treated and wrapping the panels around the limb securing the
same thereto by attaching the Velcro hooks 44 to the patch 46.
As stated above, the compress 10 can be utilized for both hot,
cold, dry and wet treatments. For dry treatments, the bladder 38 is
utilized. Ice or cold water can be inserted into the bladder 38
through the opening 40 therein and the same expanded to fill the
space 24. Since the bladder 38 is totally waterproof, no liquid
will pass through the fabric material 36 or anywhere else through
the panels 12 and 14. For wet cold, the bladder 38 is folded or
rolled as shown in FIG. 5 and ice can be inserted into the space
24. This will supply cold through the rear panel 14 and as the ice
melts, moisture will pass through the fabric 36. Similarly, if a
hot wet compress is desired, a hot wet towel or similar item can be
inserted into the space 24 through the opening 26 and both heat and
moisture will then pass through the fabric material 36.
The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms
without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof
and accordingly reference should be made to the appended claims
rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope
of the invention.
* * * * *